28 minute read
NEWS
SALE OF CHARDON HOTELS SIGNALS END OF AN ERA FOR TAYLOR FAMILY
The Taylor family have sold their family-owned group Chardon Hotels to Atlas Hotels for an undisclosed amount.
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The sale brings to an end 50 years of hotel ownership for the company which was set up by Maurice Taylor and his wife in 1972 and which has been run by daughter Nicola for nearly 20 years.
Nicola Taylor, CEO and owner of Chardon Group said of the move, “It is with a heavy heart that I took the decision to sell our hotels. This has been a difficult decision to make but it is the right decision for me and my family.
“My parents started the company in February 1972 when they converted a leased office into a ten-ensuite bedroom bed and breakfast in the New Town of Edinburgh. Now, after 50 years, we will hang up our aprons.”
She continued, “With the sale, we have ensured the company remains in the very best of hands. Atlas is fully committed to the hospitality sector. The Atlas family of hotels share our integrity and values so we have no doubt this, coupled with their experience and expertise, will result in a very bright future.”
The purchase of Chardon Group, which includes Holiday Inn Glasgow Theatreland, Holiday Inn Express Glasgow, Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Royal Mile, Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh Aiport, Holiday Inn Express Dunfermline and Holiday Inn Express Perth sees the Atlas portfolio increase to 60 UK sites with over 7,400 bedrooms.
Sean Lowe, CEO of Atlas Hotels commented, “Our decision to acquire the Chardon hotels reflects our ambitious growth strategy to become the leading multi-brand platform for Select Service hotels in the UK, and we are excited to welcome the teams into the wider Atlas family.
“Despite the tough challenges of trading through the pandemic, our portfolio has remained cash positive, demonstrating the resilience of this sector. Our operating model has allowed us to quickly integrate new assets and provide a stable platform for recovery and growth. Supported by L+R Hotels we were able to provide an efficient exit route to Chardon’s successful owners.”
Atlas Hotels, supported by its affiliate L+R Hotels, continues to grow with ten hotels having been acquired or opened in the last two years.
Since acquiring the 47-strong chain in 2016 Atlas Hotels has grown from strength to strength. Now centrally based at its new headquarters in Leicester, Atlas Hotels is the largest IHG franchisee in continental Europe. The scale of the platform allows for new assets to be acquired in a timely manner.
Desmond Taljaard, Managing Director of L+R Hotels said,“ We have earmarked over £200 million to expand Atlas Hotels. We are actively seeking to add existing hotels, along with conversion and development opportunities.”
Nicola Taylor concluded, “As a family, we have devoted most of our working lives to the hospitality industry. We have enjoyed great success, but my parents agree with my decision that it is now time for us to step back.
“On a personal level, the success Chardon has enjoyed over the years is, in large part, down to the hard work and commitment which was continually shown by the team. Everyone played their part in making it a business to be proud of and we, as a family, thank them for that.”
NO 17 ON THE PROMENADE BACKED BY CUMBERLAND BS
The Wellpark Hotel in Oban is now undergoing a complete renovation and will be reopened as ‘No. 17 on the Promenade’ following a six-figure investment by The Cumberland Building Society. The 23-room, ocean-facing boutique hotel is set to open in April having been bought by hotel, bar and restaurant owner, Paul Sloan, who purchased the site in 2021.
Commenting on the investment, hotel owner Paul Sloan said, “I can’t reiterate enough how great my experience of working with The Cumberland team has been. There is always someone on hand to offer advice on the project, which hasn’t always been the case when working with other banks.
“They have allowed me to not only invest in this project but also look ahead to future investment opportunities, which wouldn’t be possible without their help. One year ago, I felt extremely unsure about my future in the hospitality industry – now I am set to open another luxury spot in Oban, one that guests will enjoy for years to come.”
Scott McKerracher, Head of Commercial at The Cumberland added, “Despite the obvious challenges, it’s a really exciting time for the future of hospitality. We have seen a 600% increase in the pipeline in hospitality lending for hotels and holiday lets and look forward to supporting many of these opportunities, offering a fully relationship managed service to our clients.”
Valor Hospitality Partners is now managing the 4-star 240-bed Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh hotel, which now gives it a foothold in the city. The company has significantly grown its portfolio in the last twelve months. IHG placed 17 hotels with the management company in 2021 and it strengthened its portfolio further, with the addition of two new luxury properties in development in St Andrews and Dunluce, Northern Ireland. Brian McCarthy, managing director of UK and Europe at Valor Hospitality, said, “We continue to grow here in the UK, with close to forty hotels now operating under our leadership and we are delighted to be given this opportunity to expand into Edinburgh. Euan McGlashan, global co-founder and CEO of Valor Hospitality, adds. “Hailing from Edinburgh personally, the city holds a special place in my heart. This in addition to our partnership with renowned chef Roy Brett and his Ondine Restaurant, means we are bringing our own very special brand of hospitality to this incredible city.”
SPRING OPENING FOR REFURBISHED MARINE HOTEL TROON
Nicola is pictured right in 2015 with father Maurice celebrating La Bonne Auberge’s birthday.
New owners for Lake of Monteith as Karma take over
The Marine Hotel Hotel in Troon, which closed at the end of the year, will re-open, following a revamp and a rebranding by owners Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts. The new-look hotel will open with 89 rooms, two restaurants as well as a new fitness and spa centre. It will open in the spring.
Red Carnation theme 100 Princes Street, Edinburgh
100 Princes Street, formerly Edinburgh’s Overseas League, will become the first Red Carnation Hotel in Scotland when it opens this summer. The family-run firm plan to open the luxury hotel which will have 30 guest rooms and suites and a residents-only Explorers’ Club.
The hotel is being themed around Scottish explorers who formerly stayed in the Overseas League.
The design team are restoring the original building and its many iconic features, while new features such as a hand-painted mural, and a central staircase are being introduced. Araminta Campbell has also created its custom-made tartan.
NEW CHAPTER FOR GLENEAGLES AS TOWNHOUSE GETS SET TO OPEN
The Karma Group took over the Lake of Monteith Hotel recently, in a deal orchestrated by Drysdale and Company.
It’s the first purchase in Scotland for the group, which has a further 40 hotels throughout the world. It bought the leasehold interest in the 18 bedroomed hotel from Fleming Homesteads, owned by Ian Fleming, who have operated the hotel for the last 17 years.
Stuart Drysdale of Drysdale and Company, commented at the time, “Our client, Ian Fleming, has established the business as a quality destination venue for locals and visitors to the area, many of who use the hotel as a base to explore the wider area around Loch Lomond and Aberfoyle.” He continued, “We wish Karma Group all the best with their latest acquisition which highlights the optimism and drive that existing operators have in the Scottish hospitality market as we move into 2022 and beyond.”
Said John Spence from Karma Group, ‘We’re delighted to be able to introduce our latest Karma Group: Karma Lake of Menteith. This is our first property in Scotland and one that captures all the rural charm, timeless traditions and warm hospitality of this historic and beautiful land.‘’
The much anticipated Gleneagles Townhouse will open in Edinburgh this Spring with an extensive recruitment campaign currently underway. It’s the first time in Gleneagles’ history, that the brand has expanded beyond Perthshire and it has called the move a “new adventure” and a “new chapter.”
The new 33-room hotel at St Andrew’s Square will include an all-day restaurant, The Spence, a roof terrace bar called Lamplighters which will have views across Edinburgh. It will also be home to a members’ club with exclusive access to private spaces.
ROK Hotels have been given the go-ahead by planners at City of Edinburgh Council to create a hotel on the site of the former RW Forsyth department store on Princes Street. The category A-listed building will have a retail unit in the basement and ground floor, a restaurant/cafe on the first floor and the rest of the six-floor building will house the hotel.
A hop, skip and a jump – as second Courtyard hotel opens in Glasgow
Hotel Co. 51 has opened its 14th hotel. Glasgow’s Courtyard SEC by Marriott, which is the second Courtyard to open in the city. The 216-bed, four-star hotel is located adjacent to the OVO Hydro and also includes conference and event space for 100 delegates, a fitness centre and a restaurant called Hopscotch.
General Manager, Ross Saunders, who is originally from Glasgow, has moved from the Moxy at Merchant City to open the Courtyard comments, “It’s just over 36 years ago to the day that the first Courtyard Marriott opened for business travellers. I’m proud to be launching this stunning new hotel at the SEC but also within striking distance of the thriving bars and restaurants in Finnieston.”
Built using a sustainable and energy-efficient construction, the hotel has mobile room keys and a no plastic policy in place for their bar committing to glass and 100% compostable paper cups. It also offers on-site parking and a covered walkway to the SEC.
DogHouse hotel settles into Edinburgh
BrewDog opened its Edinburgh hotel Doghouse. The opening coincided with owners BrewDog being in the ‘doghouse’ in a less than complimentary BBC documentary.
The new hotel, in a C-listed red sandstone Canongate Venture building, has 20 sustainable, multi-level apartment-style hotel rooms with well-publicised in-shower beer fridges and draught beer taps. Every room has further attractions including a guitar, smart TV, record player and a curated vinyl collection. Guests can also socialise in the Atrium lounge or enjoy a drink in one of its two bars, or its outdoor terrace bar.
DogHouse Edinburgh as the name suggests is also fully dog-friendly throughout, with complimentary in-room ‘pooch packages’ for four-legged guests.
BALCOMIE LINKS
Highland Coast Hotels has just launched a new Highland Coast Community Card which will be applied for by anyone living within 15 miles of a Highland Coast Hotel.
The new Community card will provide a 30% discount in the restaurants and bars, all year round and a 50% discount off an overnight stay at any hotel, from October to March inclusive
David Whiteford, Highland Coast Hotel’s Chairman explained, “Our locals discount scheme is just one of several community initiatives from the group. It’s vitally important that locals can socialise in our premises with friends and family and feel just as welcome as our visitors from elsewhere.”
The news comes following the announcement last month by the Scottish National Bank of a £4.45 million loan to Highland Coast Hotels to help to support more sustainable and communityled hospitality around the North Coast 500 tourist route. The finance will support the upgrade of the Royal Golf Hotel in Dornoch, the Royal Marine Hotel in Brora, Newton Lodge in Unapool and the Kylesku Hotel in Kylesku, all situated along the North Coast 500.
The investment also aims to support tourism and employment opportunities that align with the Bank’s mission, to invest in places and regeneration to reduce inequalities and improve opportunities and outcomes for people and communities. In line with the Bank’s net-zero mission, the investment will also embed sustainability in each hotel and support Highland Coast Hotels’ objective to achieve carbon neutrality.
Eilidh Mactaggart, CEO of the Scottish National Investment Bank, said, “Our investment will support a vital industry for the Highlands whilst securing quality employment, educational and training opportunities in rural communities.
“The investment will also benefit local businesses through Highland Coast Hotels’ commitment to sourcing food, beverages and other supplies locally, and partnering with other local businesses who can offer activities and visitor experiences to its guests.”
David Whiteford, Chairman of Highland Coast Hotels, said, “This investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank is not only significant for our highly-talented teams within Highland Coast Hotels, but also the much-valued communities in which we operate. We will continue to develop hotels that communities can frequent and be proud of, whilst our aim is to source all produce from as close-by as we possibly can, bringing significant benefits to the local supply chain.”
BALCOMIE LINKS GETS SET FOR SPRING RELAUNCH
Balcomie Links Hotel in Crail, which was acquired by Drygate Inns in October, is gearing up to re-open followng the appointment of Annie Cullinane (pictured left) as General Manager.
The hotel, which new owners Alan Bruce and Alastair Johnstone are currently transforming, will re-open in the Spring following the completion of Phase 1 of their refurbishment plan. A new reception area is being created and a full refit of the bar, restaurant and public areas are also underway along with a complete redesign of the bedrooms and ensuites.
Subject to planning and licensing, another bar is being proposed for Phase 2.
Before joining the hotel, Annie, was Operations Manager at Taymouth Marina, She said, “I’m already in love l and feel very privileged to be tasked with transforming this beautiful old building into a warm and welcoming space for all to enjoy.
“I can’t wait to start welcoming walkers, golfers, guests and our neighbours to the new look Balcomie Links Hotel.”
Alan Bruce, Managing Director of Drygate Inns Ltd commented, “The hotel has been a landmark in Crail for over 100 years and we plan to have the old lady looking her best for the next 100 years.
“We’ll be refurbing all of the hotel but hope to have the main bar open ASAP to give our neighbours a first look at the changes and ensure regulars don’t have to wait too long between bar visits.
“We have been working with a number of sustainability consultants and agencies to ensure we create the most impact with as minimal environmental disruption as possible in the refit and we plan to continue with that drive in our operations. Annie is as committed to this as we are and, as a skilled trainer and mentor, we know she’ll inspire and lead our team to great things. The Balcomie Links Hotel couldn’t be in safer hands.”
Annie commented: “I’ve got big ambitions for the hotel and it’s great having the support, trust and investment Alastair and Alan have committed to both myself and the business.”
Cheval partners with Chris Stewart Group to create new brand MY Locanda
Cheval Collection has signed a joint venture with Chris Stewart Group to open the first property under its MY Locanda brand, in Glasgow.
The site is due to open in the first quarter of 2024 with 168 units, and will be operated by Cheval Collection.
MY Locanda Glasgow will be located on a site adjacent to Glasgow City Chambers on George Square.
Investor/developer Chris Stewart, CEO of Chris Stewart Group. He said, “MY Locanda will be a superb addition to our Love Loan development in Glasgow. Its international outlook and design-led approach will attract both short and long-term residents and matches our vision for the development which will include a range of high quality, cosmopolitan lifestyle, retail and food and drink brands. Having worked successfully with Cheval in Edinburgh, I’m delighted to continue the relationship with this new venture in Glasgow.”
Mohammed Almarzooqi, managing director for Cheval Collection, said, “In December 2018 we announced our vision for Cheval Collection to expand beyond key cities in the UK and to take on new management contracts both in the domestic and overseas markets. The launch of our exciting new brand, MY Locanda, demonstrates that vision coming to life, and we are already talking to many developers and investors about future locations.”
Designed by Hoskins Architects and 3DReid for the interior design, it will be located in the heart of Glasgow’s business district with direct access to the pedestrianised Love Loan development.
MY Locanda has been launched as a response to demand from guests for stylish, design-led apartments where they can feel part of the local community.
The brand will centre around the accommodation but will be supported by a strong F&B offering and The Lounge, a vibrant community space open to guests and local residents. MY Locanda blurs the lines between hotels, serviced apartments and co-living, with communal kitchens and the ‘Wall of Curiosity’, allowing residents the chance to borrow and loan items sourced from the community for their stay.
MY Locanda aims to appeal to those with an independent, youthful mindset travelling for leisure or business, solo, as a family or in groups of friends who enjoy engaging with the local scene.
The Old Manor Hotel in Lundin Links has been bought by the Wallace family, who also own the Pettycur Bay Holiday Park and the four-star Bay Hotel in Fife. The 23-bedroom hotel was on the market with a guide price of £1.2m. The former 19th-century mansion house, overlooking the Lundin Links golf course, became a hotel in 1994 and was bought by Alistair and Judy Saddler in May 2010. The Wallace family now plan to redevelop the 23 bedroom property, which also includes a Sea View Restaurant, a cocktail bar and lounge. It also has a self-contained meeting and conference area, which can cater for up to 120 guests, and a former restaurant lodge building in the carpark. Their first task will be upgrading the accommodation a task which was started by the previous owners.
Amity Hospitality, the specialist Hotel Management Company which has run The Green Hotel in Kinross has invested a further £50K on top of £50K spent earlier last year, refurbishing the hotel’s main reception area, corridors and further work, including installing new TV’s in its bedrooms to gain a four-star rating as soon as it can and ahead of The Open at St Andrews this summer.
The Bracken Hide Hotel in Portree will add a new dimension to the accommodation offering in Skye when it opens later this year. This 50+ plus capacity hotel will have 27-pod rooms on the 50-acre site, with the hub building housing restaurant, lounge and whisky room with bespoke flooring and handmade furniture.
Curley Concepts are the principal contractors and West Port designed the hotel to fit sympathetically into the dramatic landscape of Skye with its dry stone wall and curved roof.
The name of the hotel, which is being built on the site of the former golf course on the Struan Road in Portree, was suggested by Skeabost resident Ian Williams. He won a competition which 300 people entered. Hotel owner, Charles Garton Jones, a London-based property developer who also owns the Cow Shed, a boutique bunkhouse in Uig, picked Ian’s suggestion - ‘The Bracken Hide’.
Fonab Castle in Pitlochry has been sold by its Manchester-based owners Jed and Joanne Clark, who are currently developing Crichton Hall in Dumfries and Galloway., to a Cornwall-registered real estate company Fonab SPV.
BY NICOLA YOUNG ROBOTICS: A REALITY?
From chatbots to robot assistants, the use of robots in the hospitality industry has become more widespread in recent times and the hospitality robots market, valued at $295.5 million in 2020, is estimated to reach $3,083 million by 2030. From artificial intelligence chatbots to auxiliary robots, the hotel industry is developing robots to support customer service processes at a rapid pace.
Robots first caught the attention of the hospitality sector in the early 2000s and by 2015 many hotels had started to test and implement robots within their business. The
Henn-na in Japan was one of the first and is probably one the best known early innovators.
Today, the technologies that include AI, robotics and IoT are believed to help with a number of problems that hotels are facing. This includes the high turnover of trained staff, shortages in unskilled staff and to help with dull and repetitive tasks that can lead to lack of motivation. With staff costs anywhere between 35%-50%+ of operational costs, it means that the industry is already embracing this ‘new’ technology and looking at, not only the services that suit robot technology but also the different investment and staff choices that will support this new way of working.
Throughout the hotel, robots are already used to provide information, front desk services, storage services, as well as check-in and check out services, with technology including voice and facial recognition.
By now, most hospitality businesses will have heard about the use of robots in the sector and, with the current shortage of staff, it is set to become an area of considerable interest. But robots are being used to not only provide a competitive edge and free up staff time but to help personalise a guests stay. The Marriott hotel in Ghent - one of the first hotels to employ a robot in Europe 2016, managed to make their robot, Mario, a mini local celebrity.
The National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University is a global leader in robotics and autonomous systems and it invited some Scottish hoteliers to the Robotarium recently. to showcase what Robots are capable of now.
The most surprising takeaway was the focus on collaborative working between human staff and robots. MIT has already found that robothuman teams were more effective than purely robot or purely human teams.
Research published in ScienceDirect in 2020 showed that service robots outperformed
humans in high customer contact settings when they were performing standardised tasks but the evidence also revealed that “service robots have not yet achieved the desired technological maturity to proficiently replace humans”. One of the key areas is the level of human interaction and how robots respond to tasks that they have not been programmed for. There is no doubt, that this technology will get even better and that already today, it is proving to not only help plug the gaps in staff shortages but also provide better customer experiences.
According to Dr Björn Schuller, professor of AI at Imperial College London, “Where a bot is most useful is not in place of a social context, but when you want precise information in as short a time as possible or to save you waiting for something,” he has said.
So, just what is a robot? Unlike familiar technology such as phones, laptops or door sensors, robots need to be able to move around and to interact with objects e.g to clean them or to grab a door handle to open the door. These features are known as actuators.
They also need sensors that enable them to understand the environment they are in - in real-time. eg. routes to follow, getting around obstacles etc This can be done by mapping the hotel to build the route that the robot can use to navigate. If there is an object in the way the robot will move around it and knew where to go - it will then return to its original route when the object is no longer there. All of this involves the Internet of Things (IoT) and that uses sensors that are integrated into the fabric of the building (and includes the use of wi-fi).
Robots also need to know the ‘state’ they are in. This means knowing if they need charged or what position it is in. Ideally, you want the robot to know when to re-charge itself and how to get to the charging point and you want it do this by itself.
The best way to understand what robots can do now is to take a look at how they are already being used in hotels across the world.
HOUSEKEEPING
Housekeeping is one of the most important, and resource-heavy, areas of hotel management.
Robots are now being used for bed-making, replacing and folding towels, linen delivery, emptying bins, toilet cleaning, vacuuming and washing floors. These repetitive and labour intensive tasks are ideal for current robot technology and need minimal guest interaction,
One type of robot has been specifically engineered to clean and disinfect rooms with some hotels in Japan reporting that it was a key feature for hotel guests during the pandemic.
RLH Corporation, or Red Lion Hotels, is now one of the largest hotel chains in the US, and it has put technology at the heart of its business since 2018. In 2019 it created a new subsidiary called RLabs, Inc., a travel technology-based innovator.
Its housekeeping robot was designed as part of a partnership with Peanut Robotics and was designed to do supplemental housekeeping work alongside a human housekeeper, such as cleaning toilets and collecting linens, allowing housekeepers to focus on other aspects of their job. To make sure that it can’t harm anyone, the arm’s level of strength is set so that it is lower than humans. Although it handles some routine housekeeping tasks, the company plans to add other functionalities in the future, including stocking minibars.
According to John Edwards, RLH Corporation’s chief technology officer, “Really, the goal is to augment customer service,” he goes on, “If we can allow housekeeping to focus on cleanliness and service, that is a win for us.”
In terms of suppliers, there are quite a few. Maidbot has a robot called Rosie that vacuums rooms and is powered by a Tesla battery. Its’
learning algorithms and data updates are used to help understand guest behaviour. It claims that it can clean rooms 20 per cent faster and public areas up to 80 per cent faster than human housekeepers.
PORTER AND ROOM SERVICE
Porter and delivery robots have been in use at hotels almost since the beginning. Aloft Cupertino was one of the first to test this technology way back in 2014. It used the Relay robot by Savioke and others now include the Tug robots by Aethon to deliver room and porter services including luggage, and linen.
Hotel Trio in San Jose uses a simple armless robot called Rosé, also by Savioke. The automated delivery bot, which has been working at the hotel since 2018, came into its own after social distancing regulations were put in place and has been very popular for wine delivery and it can be programmed to deliver items to different rooms. Once it arrives outside the door, guests receive a call that it is waiting outside. After delivery Rosé returns to base and is sanitised. Scott Satterfield, general manager of Hotel Trio, says, “For guests who prefer contactless deliveries, Rosé provides them with peace of mind as she can deliver items to their suite.”
Lauren Schechtman, vice president of marketing and sales at Savioke, who supplied the robot explained that technicians map the facility and program the robots with instructions about where to travel to on each floor. “Once the robot is programmed, it’s basically selfsufficient until the next software upgrade,” she said.
At Yotel in New York, its ‘Yobot’ collects and delivers luggage for guests and it can handle 300 items of luggage a day. This means that staff can focus on other tasks rather and is intended to reduce the waiting time for guests at the check-in and concierge desks.
In Chicago, Hotel EMC2 has two 3 fest high robots called Cloe and Leo and they have name tags and a ‘uniform’. This pair of robots help housekeeping by responding to guest room delivery requests such as an extra towel, or a snack. In 2019, around 50% of guests called upon Leo or Cleo during their stays, and inroom dining revenues increased by 30%.
The use of name tags and uniforms isn’t actually a gimmick. One way to improve guest acceptance and trust, according to the classic technology acceptance model, is to add ‘some’ human-like attributes to robots.
FRONT DESK & CONCIERGE
Alibaba’s FlyZoo Hotel is often called the “hotel of the future”. Its robots and technology are centred around a bespoke mobile application. Checking in and access via facial recognition have been dramatically streamlined and voice-activated room service bots work with autonomous smart machines which then deliver room service to guests.
Connie is a robot concierge, used by Hilton. The robot makes use of an artificial intelligence platform developed by IBM. It is able to interact with guests and respond to their questions, thanks to its speech recognition capabilities of Watson’s AI. The system also learns and adapts with each interaction, improving the answers it provides.
The Henn-na Hotel in Japan became the first hotel in the world to be entirely staffed by robots. Robots are deployed to provide information, front desk services, storage services, as well as check-in and check out services, with technology including voice and facial recognition. Their front desk robots look entirely like humans and include ‘male’ and ‘female’ versions which talk to guests as they are automatically checked-in - they even perform the customary bow.
The Henn-na pared back the ratio of robots to humans and eventually lowered the overall number of robots. There are some valuable lessons there. Another of which was the level of complaints from guests because of the robots breaking down. This was, of course, a long time ago and at a time when this technology was new, but it points to the need for a new staff structure that includes people who understand technology but also to the importance of humans and robots working together.
At the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Las Vegas robots are used as “technical ambassadors“. The robots are placed at strategic points so that they can answer common questions. Examples include the location of elevators, the ability to give directions to a specific room or even to recommend certain types of food.
FOOD/ DINING
There are some great examples of how robots are being used in the kitchen and includes places like Spyce in Boston, Creator Burger in San Francisco, and even at the Los Angeles Dodgers stadium where the robots cook the food in the fryers. The robot can be used for burger flipping, food preparation, and in the case of Spyce, they mix the ingredients created by Culinary Director and Chef Daniel Boulud, transfer these to a wok for cooking then transfer the meal to the delivery dish (and then clean the wok).
In all cases, the savings in preparation are re-invested into better quality raw ingredients providing a better experience to the consumer. In the case of Creator Burger, they have been able to improve the burger quality and still compete with MacDonalds on price. Spyce can deliver a meal to the customer for a charge of $7.50.
Hotels themselves are already using robots to deliver meals via Room Service and hotel robots as waiters are also being trialled. These robots can take orders as well as deliver food. Some use tracks to get around and some can move freely around the dining room. For relatively simple dishes, a robots level of accuracy means that they can accommodate specific needs such as glutenfree or low-calorie dishes and they can be useful for the production of bulk meals that need to be prepared in a timely fashion such as catering for large events.
In all cases, the robots that are used in food preparation are supervised by humans.
For now, and for some time to come, human staff members and service robots will need to collaborate. Service robots can do the mechanical and analytical work while human staff members deal with emotional tasks. For example, during the check-in process, a service robot can deliver luggage to the correct room, while the human staff member provides the guest with a warm welcome.
It suggests that robotics will unquestionably replace repetitive and mundane jobs in hospitality including roles such as housekeepers, porters, porters, concierges, security guards, line cooks, room service and even bartenders and waiters, etc.There are cocktail making robots in use right now that can mix a great cocktail (to the human recipe) and reduce spillage. The Tipsy Robot by Makr Shakr can make more than 120 drinks an hour and save 25% of the drink spillage.
Some hotels are even looking at how to use robots to do tasks such as interior decorating where the robot can paint day and all night a doing a relatively simple repetitive task that gets completed in half the time.
But AI also means that there is an enormous amount of data being collected which can be analysed and reacted to in real-time and it can be used to log and predict guest behaviour. This means that guest services can react instantly to changing needs and demands and can be improved based on real-time customer feedback and behaviour.
This will require people with new skills as well as the existing skilled teams. Hotels will continue to require staff with great people skills, warm customer service, fast creative decision making, an ability to handle customer and operational issues, revenue managers, IT managers, CRM and marketing experts but they will also need new jobs roles such as digital transformation strategists, automation specialists, robotisation technologists, data analysts, robot trainers and maintenance specialists. It all demonstrates that hotels are fast becoming a technology business.
But, as a wise man once said, “Robots do not replace people, rather, they are the tools used by people’.
